


War Games

by live_laugh_read



Series: Billabong Missing Moments [29]
Category: Billabong Series - Mary Grant Bruce
Genre: F/M, Gen, Mateship and a Fair Go, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:54:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26680048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/live_laugh_read/pseuds/live_laugh_read
Summary: Set in between Billabong's Daughter and Billabong Adventurers, Jim and Wally share their stories of the War and reminisce.
Relationships: Norah Linton/Wally Meadows
Series: Billabong Missing Moments [29]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/392605
Comments: 3
Kudos: 6





	War Games

“What’s up, old chap?” 

Wally Meadows turned with a start, seeing his chum walk the length of the verandah towards him, bearing two mugs of steaming hot tea. The tea was a welcome sight, on a weekend where the rain seemed ceaseless in its downward advance, and the chill in the air seemed to pervade his very bones, no matter how many warm shirts and jackets he wore. 

He took the tea with a grateful nod, answering, “Just thinking about things.” When Jim leaned against a pillar and looked firmly at him, he capitulated. “I was thinking about Hill 60.” 

There was silence for a moment, and then Jim said, “I remember waiting for some action to happen, wanting to prove myself and do my bit. Then I heard the shouting, and saw the gas come up the lines, and I - well, I felt more scared than I ever had before.” 

Wally nodded. “That’s exactly it. There’s nothing worse than hearing a fellow man’s cries for help, and realising the true danger of your situation. Old Brer Boche really made the most out of it, didn’t he?” 

“Certainly did, when I was in Germany,” remarked Jim, a shadow passing over his face. “Did I ever tell you about Albert McKinnon? He was in the labour camp that I was taken to, and when I got there he’d already been there for two months. They used his skills as an engineer to help them improve the equipment they used to … to kill the rest of us.” 

“Poor fellow,” Wally breathed, imagining the horrors that man must have seen. “Dear God, how he must have felt.” 

“When I left,” Jim went on, “he was a shadow of the man I had first met. He simply couldn’t come to terms with what they were making him do. They kept him in an empty cell at night, with no light or proper bed, so that he couldn’t use anything to off himself.” 

The two men were quiet, each lost in his own memories of the war. Eventually, Wally said, “I don’t suppose you’ve told Norah about any of this - or Dad. Maybe Dad could handle it, but I’m not so sure about old Nor.” 

“Neither of them know,” said Jim. “Norah has seen and heard too much as it is, Wal. I’d much rather keep her out of things as much as I can. She doesn’t know the half of what you and I did, and I’d much rather keep it that way.” 

“She knows that I don’t sleep well,” Wally replied, taking a long sip of his tea. “I come downstairs to breakfast with rings underneath my eyes and half-asleep, and she looks at me with pity but says nothing.”

Jim sat down on the verandah, so that his long legs dangled over the edge; Wally followed suit, and together they contemplated the grassy lawn in front of them, nursing their mugs.. “Of course she wouldn’t say anything. I have a feeling that she just knows, sometimes, and sets out to cheer us up without ever asking us about it in the first place.” 

His chum sighed, a long and heavy sound that made Jim furrow his eyebrows. “I don’t know how much to tell her, Jimmy. I mean, she wants to marry me, but she hasn’t an idea about what we did, in France - and she doesn’t deserve to worry about me waking up every other night in a cold sweat.” 

“Are you hung up over that?” Jim turned to look at Wally, rather amazed. “Wal, old chap, I don’t think she cares. Well, she cares, but it doesn’t bother her. I do believe she understands that we did our bit, and if you happen to sleep badly because of it - well, she’ll come up with some way to make you tell her what’s going on, and then she’ll fix it!” 

“I dream of Gallipoli sometimes,” Wally said. “I know that we were out of it, and Norah is all the happier for it - but sometimes I see it in my mind’s eye. The beach where they landed, and the cliff above where those hanged Turks hid in wait for our lads. I wish we could have been there, with the Australians.” 

“So do I,” Jim replied, “but then I think that if we had been, we would most likely not be here. And you saw what happened to Norah when she thought I was dead - if the both of us had ‘gone west’ I’d hate to think of her now.” 

They fell silent again, hearing the drumming on the roofs as the rain started up again. For a long moment, nothing was said.

Behind them there were footsteps, and both men turned, seeing Norah approach them. She had put on a warm winter coat over her dress, and buried her hands deep in its pockets. Her face was grave, but when she met their eyes she smiled. 

The boys shuffled about a little, providing a gap large enough for her to sit on the edge of the verandah between them. Wally passed her his mug to warm her hands, and she sent him a grateful smile, one hand closing briefly over his, before she released it and cradled the mug reverently. 

“What have you been talking about?” she asked, and saw the sombre look that passed between them. It spoke volumes, and in an instant she knew. “Never mind. I came out to find you because the rain had started again, and I thought you had done something foolish like jump in puddles!” 

“Not I,” said her brother primly, “and this invalid here is not in any shape to be jumping around, puddles or no puddles.” 

Wally drew one leg up onto the verandah, resting his elbow on it and staring very deliberately at his friend. “Once this old leg is quite better - Anderson says I may ride next week, might I remind you - I’ll make sure you jump. Into the lagoon.” 

The three laughed together, and Norah was relieved to see a sparkle come back to Wally’s eyes. When she had arrived, they had been grave and forlorn, and she knew in her mind what they had been talking about. It was often at this time of the year that Wally found himself most plagued by thoughts of the War, precipitated by the cold, dark winter days.

“We are proud of you,” she said to him, suddenly, before turning to Jim. “And you, Jimmy. You boys did more than your country ever asked you to do - but you came back to me, and I will always be grateful to Him above for watching over you and guiding your footsteps.”

Her voice shook somewhat, and Wally again reached out a hand, taking hers and holding it. Jim rested his on Norah’s other shoulder. United in mateship, the three fell into thoughts of a bright and happy future - one which would begin in five months’ time with Norah and Wally’s wedding. 

  
  



End file.
